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Rildanor
Rildanor, officially the Royaume Français de Rildanor (French Kingdom of Rildanor), is a nation situated on the continent of Seleya, bordered by Kanjor in the south, Alduria in the west, and Mordusia in the northwest. Its capital city is Labonne. The inhabitants of Rildanor enjoy a high standard of living, and the country is generally perceived as modern and liberal, with an organizational and corporate culture that is non-hierarchical and collectivist compared to other countries. Rildanor is a constitutional monarchy organized as a parliamentary democracy, a system that has generally brought forth stability in the populous country. Etymology [[image:Fleur.jpg|thumb|left|130px| Jean de Fleur, an ancient Kanjoran diplomat and historian, was the first to use the word Rildanor.]] The name Rildanor most likely comes from the distinct old French dialect words of riche, or rihl, meaning rich or abundant, and nord, or north. The lands of what is now the cantons of Nirald and Tirali were, and continue to be, very fertile and rich in natural resources such as timber, copper, gold, and silver. The present day name of Rildanor was therefore derived from the old phrase riche (or rihl) du nord, which roughly translates to the wealthy north. The first use of Rildanor seems to have come from the ancient Kanjoran historian Jean de Fleur, who travelled north to the territory of modern Rildanor in 1432 as part of a diplomatic mission to woo over the ancient tribes. De Fleur saw the thriving communities of the area, particularly the great agricultural output and the seemingly infinite supply of other resources that made the local people rich. On his return to Kanjor two years later, de Fleur kept referring to the land as Rildanor, which impressed a Kanjoran chieftain so much that he quickly encouraged trade with the area. The name, thereafter, became popularized first outside of Rildanor itself, but was eventually accepted by Rildanorians after the formation of the modern state in 2049. Geography At 1,679,100 km², Rildanor is the world's 7th-largest country, above Saridan and below Deltaria. Rildanor is surrounded by Kanjor in the south, Alduria in the west, and Mordusia in the northwest. It also has maritime borders with Aldegar, Gaduridos, and Indrala. There are five cantons: Nirald, Morbanack, Tirali, Zirdor, and Meriath. The major lowland regions are Nirald and Morbanack in the west. The Western Plain is essentially a wide river valley through which the Boudigau River flows. This makes the two cantons suitable for agriculture and is the main industry there. The central cantons of Tirali and Zirdor have several mountainous and forested areas, but are mainly flat, making it ideal for settlements. The island canton of Meriath is mountainous, though the coastal areas are quite levelled. The central part of the island, however, are known to posses some of the world's largest deposits of various minerals. History Early History thumb|left|130px| Cardinal Jean Chirac is said to be the father of Rildanorian unification. Rildanor's pre-state history spans centuries of quarrelling small kingdoms and principalities with no real desire for unified rule. The Kingdom of Tirali, by far the strongest between 1799 and 2008, failed to unite Rildanorians, primarily due to interference from other countries in what is now Mordusia, Alduria, and Kanjor. The Kings of Tirali also had to deal with domestic instability stemming from feuding noblemen, many of which held armies that were formidable enough to fight against the monarch. From 2008 onwards, the nations of present day Rildanor enjoyed a period of peace and cultural renaissance, with the French culture spreading out to neighbouring countries. In 2010, Cardinal Jean Chirac, the first minister to Tirali's King Kamadev, put forth the idea of unification of the Southern Seleyan states under the rule of a common monarch, but negotiations bore little fruit. The power centres of Spanish Mordusia strongly opposed the Tiralian plan, citing little similarities between the scattered peoples of South Seleya. By 2015, five years after his initial plan of a large South Seleyan nation, Cardinal Chirac instead refocused his dreams of unification to the five French nations of Tirali, Meriath, Zirdor, Nirald and Morbanack, and several states in the present-day nations of Alduria and Kanjor. Chirac, however, would die the following year, thereby forcing the collapse of the talks a month later. Birth of a Nation In 2047, the nation of Mordusia unified under a common government, while the various states of modern day Alduria and Kanjor solidified their republican control, thus placing increased pressure on the Rildanorian kingdoms bordering them. King Kamadev of Tirali convened a meeting in April 20th after the brief Morbanack-Vagderra War, a conflict that threatened to swallow the Rildanorian states under various forms of republican rule. Although South Seleya was predominantly French, a republican system was all too unthinkable in the highly elitist and aristocratic societies of Rildanor. Despite Kamadev Jozefus' mediation, talks on unity stalled once more as the question of the common monarch resurfaced. thumb|left|190px| The War of Rildanor resulted in the complete unification of the Rildanorian kingdoms. In 2048, the eastern Aldurian states of Bendiri and Zanyal launched an invasion of the western Duchy of Nirald, supposedly on the basis of historical right that dates back to the 1987 marriage of two aristocratic families that links Nirald with the two invaders. Tirali and the Duchy of Morbanack quickly mobilized their armies in defence of their Niraldanian brothers, quickly repelling Aldurian republican forces in a few months. It soon became apparent, then, that the Rildanorian states had to unite to repel future aggressive action by their neighbours. King Kamadev Jozefus of Tirali convened the fourth and final phase of the unification process and soon united Nirald, Morbanack, and Tirali under the Tiralian monarchy in December 2048. thumb|right|170px| Kamadev Jozefus, the first King of Rildanor. The island Kingdom of Meriath and the Kingdom of Zirdor adamantly refused to join, precipitating a war in January 2049. Zirdor soon surrendered to the Rildanorian army, but Meriath proved to be a more difficult feat as the new kingdom lacked the naval know-how to launch a massive amphibious assault. The War of Rildanor, as it came to be called, dragged on for seven more months until the exhausted Meriathan population surrendered on July 29. Both Zirdor and Meriath were forced in to the Rildanorian nation, and on 1 August 2096, Kamadev Jozefus of the Leone Family was crowned King of Rildanor in Tirali City, then to be made capital. Theocratic Monarchy The birth of Rildanor failed to predict the strong interest of the Catholic Church in national politics and in the everyday lives of the newly unified Rildanorian people. Christian parties held almost half of the early 36-member Sénat, with its first act of business being the issue concerning prayers in school. Throughout the remainder of the century, the Church would establish strong political and social control over Rildanor in what would be known as the Theocratic Monarchy. This period in the country's history would shape the country's evolution and can also explain the religion's continued existence in modern day Rildanor. Rildanorian Civil War The theocratic monarchy, however, soon collapsed amid controversy as both the Church and several aristocrats were engulfed in a scandal regarding the embezzlement of state funds. In 2267, a pro-republican government would unseat Edmund and put in its place the Republic of Rildanor. Many Communist youths were at first ecstatic about the end of the Church and the monarchy, but the republican government failed to address and meet the social issues plaguing Rildanor at the time. A Marxist revolution called MAREM overthrew President Mike Knox in 2270 and declared a Communist Republic shortly after. In 2274, a royalist uprising erupted in Meriath, led by the aging Edmund I and his son Hénri, which soon overran government forces on the island. When news of the revolt reached the mainland, many noblemen and their supporters quickly sailed for Meriath, hoping to rally behind Edmund and restore the monarchy. A planned invasion of Rildanor from Meriath soon took effect and royalist forces focused their attention on the capital Tirali, but the ensuing conflict drew in nearby countries, including Kanjor, Saridan, Aldegar, Kafuristan, Gishoto, Dorvik. By November 2277, royalist forces were strong enough to make a final assault on the eastern cantons of Nirald and Morbanack, the last remaining Marxist-held territories. The fighting would not continue, however, as Edmund and the leader of MAREM agreed on a ceasefire. A constitutional monarchy with social democratic values was the compromise reached at the peace conference, but Edmund would not see it implemented. He died in 2284. First Restoration Princesse Arun, Edmund's granddaughter, would be crowned Queen of Rildanor after the Rildanor Peace Treaty was signed in 2285 in the new capital of Labonne, 200 km east of Tirali. The site for the new capital was chosen because of Labonne's defendable location and vast plots of untouched land, in sharp contrast to the more urban and overpopulated scene in Tirali. The Nareath monarchy would go undisturbed until 2401 when a surge in republican support once again overthrew the family. Lourenne In 1844, a massive hurricane sent a small vessel of Rildanorian missionaries, originally destined for Hulstria, crashing onto the western shore of Haboves. Immigration from the Rildanorian kingdoms, particularly Tirali, would increase over time, with many settlers integrating into the local Zapotec population. The colony came to be known as Lourenne, named after the wife of Dessaigne, the captain of the ship carrying the first missionaries. During the mid-20th century, social upheaval in Tirali brought a radical shift to the colonial order in Lourenne. With conflict at home, the office of viceroy was abolished and the royal family ceded administrative powers to private trading companies. These companies, more interested in profit than imperial glory, had no desire to care for demanding Rildanorian immigrants and soldiers. They began to hire natives to administrative positions, and the largest of the companies, the Ducret-Levene Mercantile Co., created a private army composed entirely of well-paid Mixtecs. thumb|right|250px| The Foreign Legion first arrived in 2231 to help suppress the anti-colonial movement in Lourenne. By 2230, the democratic movement had combined with a resurgent sense of nativist pride, and that year, massive riots broke out in Lourenne's major cities. Native administrators in the colonial government appealed for calm, but they could not contain an anger that had been brewing for centuries. Following the seizure of a Rildanorian merchant vessel, the merchant families were finally able to convince Rildanor to help them crack down on the dissident labourers, and in the spring of 2231, Rildanor's dreaded Foreign Legion landed on the shores of Lourenne in force. The riots came to a quick and violent end, but where many natives had previously been hesitant to denounce Rildanor altogether, the brutality of the Foreign Legion almost instantly turned Lourenne's idealistic democratic movement into a belligerent anti-colonial movement. Surprisingly, the native Lourennians found support overseas. Anti-imperialist sentiment had grown strong among the middle class in Rildanor, and the government found itself under increasing pressure to withdraw its forces. In 2258, however, the colonial government convinced Rildanor to attempt one more offensive to crush the Mayan militias. The ensuing conflict, now known as the Slow War, was exceptionally bloody despite its name. Employing highly unorthodox strategies, the rebel militants were able to defeat their conventionally superior enemies by disrupting supply lines and avoiding direct battles. For the Foreign Legion, desertion and disease inflicted far more casualties than the militants themselves, as they struggled to pursue outmoded strategies in Lourenne's naturally hostile environment. The Legionaries could take a town, but they could not hold a river. They could win a skirmish, but they could not pursue a militia into the deep swamps. In 2270, facing incredible losses and growing dissent among its middle class, especially since the Civil War was in full swing at this time, Rildanor began to withdraw from Lourenne altogether, leaving the colonial government with only its own armies for protection. In 2285, all but a few of the militia leaders agreed to come to the bargaining table. The negotiations were long and chaotic, but by 2286, a compromise had been reached. The Mayan militias would lay down their arms, but only if the colonial government declared its independence from Rildanor. And so, as the famous saying goes, 'Lourenne was born from a trade.' Lourenne declared its independence in 2287, effectively ending the Rildanorian government's official involvement in the country. Union de Seleya du Sud In the 2450s, Rildanorian politicians introduced the idea of uniting all of southern Seleya under once country, an entity, they say, that makes sense given the near homogeneous French make-up of the region. Negotiations took nearly a decade, but generally well received in both Rildanor and Kanjor, while sparking little interest in Alduria. In May 2461, Rildanor and Kanjor ratified the treaty and officially formed the L'Union de Seleya du Sud (South Seleya). The system retained much of the two countries' systems, with alternating 5-year presidencies and cabinets. South Seleya, however, would eventually dismantle for two reasons; the two countries still largely performed as separate entities, with little being done in the international relations arena. Also, Rildanor had revived strong monarchist sentiments that required a withdrawal from a union with a staunchly republican character, thus ending the union in the 2490s. Second Restoration After 93 years of republican rule, the Nareaths were reinstated to the throne of Rildanor. Years of steady increase in support for the family was primarily due to the popular pretender, Louis-Philippe, but it was his son Charles that would captivate many young voters. His youthful charisma gave the idea of monarchy a fresh look, and by 2490 pro-monarchist parties would win two-thirds of the seats in the Senate. Charles would be crowned King of the Rildanorians in 2494, thus beginning the third Nareath monarchy. Charles was king for an unprecedented 63 years and oversaw a period of relative stability in Rildanorian politics. He died of a stroke in 2557 and would be replaced by Joséphine, Rildanor's first Queen since Arun. Government and Politics Rildanor's politics has been branded as stable but unpredictable. The unpredictability lies in the several transitions between the monarchy and republic at various stages of the country's history. The stability of the country's politics refers to the normally bloodless and peaceful nature of these political transitions and the fact that few early elections are ever called. Monarchy thumb|left|150px| Queen Joséphine I. Queen Joséphine I, born 16 April 2513, is since 14 January 2557 Queen Regnant and head of state. The most recent reinstitution of the monarch happened after Rildanor left the largely republican dominated South Seleya Union with Kanjor there was a debate as to whether or not to restore the monarchy. Several contentious elections followed, resulting in the factions loyal to the monarchy gaining a supermajority in the Sénat, thus the monarchy was reestablished. While resistance to the monarchy is still common in the rhetoric of left-wing parties, it has largely faded into a non-issue. Modern Status Today the Sovereign has an essentially ceremonial role restricted in exercise of power by convention and public opinion. However, the monarch does continue to exercise three essential rights: the right to be consulted, the right to advise and the right to warn. As a consequence of these ideals, the Prime Minister and Cabinet attends the regular meeting of the Council of State. However, the real powers of position of the monarch in the constitution should not be downplayed. The Monarch does indeed retain some power, but it has to be used with discretion. She fulfils the necessary constitutional role as head of state, and acts as a final check on executive power. If a time came to pass, for instance, when a law threatened the freedom or security of her subjects, the queen could decline Royal Assent, free as she is from the eddies of party politics and prosecution. Political Parties *Democratique Moderne et Royaliste: a movement whose aims is the democratic development of the nation built on freedom and social justice according to Rildanor and Christian tradition. *Parti d'Aristocratie: an Orthodox Catholic, pro-monarchy, right-wing conservative party that is one of Rildanor's oldest and longest running party. *Partie Démocratique Libéral: a party for individual social and political rights, the protection of the environment, and prosperity for all people. *Parti Nationaliste Gauche: a party that is socialist in its treatment of the citizens, conservative in its approach to morals, culture and values, and nationalistic in its promotion of the nation's ideals and its people. *Parti Populaire National * Parti Radical et Radical-Socialiste: a socially liberal and economic centrist party, its stongest support comes from liberal urbanites. Sénat thumb|right|250px| The Sénat in Labonne. The Sénat du Rildanor is the nation's elected legislature. It consists of 303 members from all five cantons. Elections are held every three years and all registered voters are required to vote. Executive Executive authority is exercised on behalf of the monarch by the prime minister and other cabinet ministers who head departments. The cabinet, including the Prime Minister, and other ministers collectively make up the government. These ministers are responsible to Sénat, which is traditionally considered to be supreme (that is, able to legislate on any matter and not bound by decisions of its predecessors). The cabinet is normally made up of an alliance between various parties, often forming centre-left or centre-right coalitions. Military thumb|right|150px| Changing the Guard, at the Château de Fontainebleau-Versailles, Labonne thumb|left|180px| The Rildanorian Royal Navy conducts naval exercises off the coast of Meriath. The Army, Navy and Air Force are collectively known as the Rildanorian Armed Forces (or Her Majesty's Armed Forces) and officially the Armed Forces of the Crown. The commander-in-chief is the monarch, HM Queen Joséphine and they are managed by the Ministry of Defence. The armed forces are controlled by the Defence Council, chaired by the Chief of the Defence Staff. Rildanor fields one of the most technologically advanced and best trained armed forces in the world. According to various sources, including the Ministry of Defence, Rildanor allocates about 20% of its budget to the military. It is one of the largest spender on military science, engineering and technology. In 2561, the military had 1.38 million personnel on active duty, along with several hundred thousand each in the Reserves and the National Guard for a total of 2.3 million troops. The Ministry of Defence also employs approximately 700,000 civilians, disregarding contractors. Military service is voluntary, though conscription may occur in wartime through a resolution by the Sénat. The rapid deployment of Rildanorian forces is facilitated by the Air Force's large fleet of transportation aircraft and aerial refuelling tankers, the Navy's fleet of eleven active aircraft carriers, and Royal Marine Units at sea in the Navy's oceanic fleets. The military also includes the Royal Guard battalion, which has two main roles; it serves as the monarch's lifeguards, guarding the royal residences and properties in the country, and is also the main infantry unit responsible for the defence of the capital Labonne. The Royal Guards number at around 25,000 soldiers, including 2,000 men who mainly appear in parades, ceremonies, and other royal functions. The armed forces is in theory under the direct command of the King or Queen of Rildanor. This is rarely the real case, however, as the monarch has a symbolic role rather than a political role. Demographics Rildanor's population has surpassed 185,000,000 in 2561 and the country proudly has the largest French population anywhere on Terra. In 2511, the government conducted a study to determine demographics of the country. The results are published in the Recensement national - Rildanor Census, 2511 bill. Ethnicity Approximately 95% of all Rildanorian residents identify themselves as French (or Rildanorian). With over 151 million Frenchmen (2511 census figures), a vast array of cultural traditions have thus been handed down for centuries and continues to be practised and honoured today. About 2% of the population come from Rildanor's immediate neighbours: Mordusia]], Alduria, and Kanjor. Although most of them are technically French, they continue and prefer to be identified by their country of origin. The remaining 3% are migrant workers (mainly from Majatra), foreign diplomats/businessmen, illegal aliens and people of mixed descent. Religion thumb|right|250px| Cathedrals are a common sight in many major Rildanorian cities, such as the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Leexis in Leexis, Meriath. The largest religious group in Rildanor is Orthodox Catholicism, comprising of more than 82% of the country's population. Other Christian groups number around 4% while Muslims are reduced to 3%. This is followed by small populations of Buddhists and Jews at less than 1%. At 10%, atheists (or those who do not adhere to any religion) have grown throughout the country and is a reflection of Rildanor's changing attitudes toward organized religions. Language Rildanor's official language is French and was formally recognized as such in the Official French Act, 2368. The bill is a further recognition of the country's true French identity and its dominance among the world French population. French is today mandatory in schools, workplaces and government, and programs are funded by the Rildanor Government to promote it outside of the country, particularly in South Seleya where there are countries with sizable French populations. Other languages, however, are still widely tolerated and protected under law. Economy Rildanor is one of the Seleya's wealthiest nations, with a high per-capita income and robust annual growth rates, fuelled by abundant natural resources, a well-developed infrastructure, and high productivity. thumb|left|180px| The automobile industry is especially profitable in both domestic and international markets. The private sector constitutes the bulk of the economy, with government activity accounting for 12.4% of GDP. The economy is postindustrial, with the service sector contributing 67.8% of GDP. The leading business field by gross business receipts is wholesale and retail trade; by net income it is finance and insurance. Rildanor remains an industrial power, with chemical products the leading manufacturing field. It is one of the largest producers of oil in the world, and also one of its largest consumers. Rildanor is one of the world's most important suppliers of agricultural products, with Morbanack and Nirald being one of the most important suppliers of wheat, canola and other grains. Rildanor is the world's largest producer of zinc and uranium and a world leader in many other natural resources such as gold, nickel, aluminum, and lead; many, if not most, towns in the canton of Meriath, where agriculture is difficult, exist because of a nearby mine or source of timber. Rildanor also has a sizable manufacturing sector centred in Tirali and Zirdor, with automobiles and aeronautics representing particularly important industries. The service sector of Rildanor is dominated by financial services, especially in banking and insurance. The Rildanorian manufacturing sector, however, has greatly diminished, relative to the economy as a whole, since the 24th century. It is still a significant part of the economy, but only accounted for one-sixth of national output in recent years. Category:Rildanor Category:Nations Category:Seleya